Leaving Home
by TheRealAbbey
Summary: When most young men leave home, there aren't usually many drama's...
1. Default Chapter

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own SeaQuest, I'm making no money from this (If anyone knows how I *could* make money, I'd be curious to know).  
  
It hadn't been the same without Lucas. Ever since he had left the SeaQuest to pursue an alternative career in systems operations, the boat had seemed different somehow. The corridors themselves seemed to be missing their young prodigy.   
  
Most of his friends where glad that he was leaving. Not because they didn't love him. But because they knew that he would be much happier. He was going where he belonged.  
  
It had taken a lot of courage for Lucas. The only real home he had ever known was here. The only real family he had ever known was being left behind. But once he understood that they would still be there for him, even after he left, he began to work up some courage to pursue his dreams.  
  
He was so desperately afraid of being alone. After Bridger had left him and hadn't stayed in contact like he had promised, Lucas was afraid that the same would happen with his other friends. Lucas wasn't sure how he would survive completely alone.   
  
Lucas never thought he would cry over something so stupid. But he had. Just as he was about to leave, the docking bay was filled with people bidding him goodbye, all offering him hugs and words of support. Lucas had cried whilst he was holding most of them, not hard, but enough for him to feel like he was ruining his reputation.  
  
He had felt like a teenage girl leaving highschool.  
  
He had never been truly alone. Living as an adult was something that would be completely new to him. He was 22, but had never had to worry about paying bills, shopping, cooking for himself…. There were plenty of people willing to offer him advice on that one. In particular Tony, who was keen to hold one over him.  
  
For the first few weeks he had managed just by contacting his closer friends occasionally via email or vidlink. As things got more stressful, he spoke for longer, on more frequent occasions.  
  
Although, he was surprised how quickly he started to fit in at his new job and made new acquaintances, none of them he could call close friends, and he missed playing poker with his friends on SeaQuest.  
  
It wasn't until Lucas Wolenczak had officially resigned from the UEO navy for 6 months that he started getting the phone calls.  
  
The UEO wanted to check up on him, make sure that everything was going well for him. Lucas was almost flattered, even though he often came across quite full of himself.  
  
Then they started calling him up for frequent meetings, asking him to sign non-disclosure documents, which he did willingly.   
  
Lucas wasn't terribly concerned at all. That is, until they asked him to come back.  
  
***  
  
"Well, I appreciate the offer," Lucas Wolenczak stuttered slightly as he gave a lopsided grin, "But I'm happy now. I'm not interested in a position in the UEO anymore."  
  
Three high ranking UEO officials had met with Lucas at his home to finish off some more paper work. All were middle aged men. Social etiquette was not their forte, but Lucas had done his best to accommodate them, assuming that their refusal of drinks was due to the fact that they weren't going to stay long.  
  
One of the men chuckled slightly, "No, Mr Wolenczak, you misunderstand us. We're not asking you at all."  
  
Lucas looked up from where he was bent over the table looking through the last of the documents.  
  
"We're telling you," he finished.  
  
Lucas looked up, still smiling slightly, not sure what to make of this.  
  
One of the other men continued, "The UEO is offering you twice to three times the amount that you were being paid before, and you don't have to re-enter as an officer."  
  
"Listen, I told you," Lucas said, focusing his deep blue eyes onto the man who had last spoke, "I'm not interested."  
  
"Well," the first man looked at the other two helplessly, "I'm sorry about that, but, you know, that's the way it is."  
  
Lucas looked at all three of them, "The way what is?"  
  
"You're a genius, Mr Wolenczak," the second man told him patiently, "You have access to all our systems and you have detailed knowledge of all our classified information."  
  
Lucas held up the paper work with a 'Duh' look on his face, "Isn't that what this is for?"  
  
"We're still not entirely certain. That is merely contractual, we still can't put you in jail for doing something we can't prove you did."  
  
Lucas looked completely baffled, "What are you talking about?"  
  
The first man took over, "We're not talking about anything that has happened. Just what potentially could happen."  
  
Lucas looked at all three of them, stunned.  
  
"We also took the liberty of bugging you're phones and apartment, and we're not entirely convinced that you should be let go."  
  
Wolenczak's mouth dropped open, "You did *what*!?"  
  
They went to speak but he continued, "How could you bug my apartment without a warrant!?"  
  
"You are a threat to the UEO, Lucas," the man who had not yet spoken told him calmly.  
  
Lucas took a few steps back and blinked in shock, "I.. I don't believe this. This is ridiculous."  
  
"When someone who could potentially overthrow the UEO single handedly within a very short amount of time gets offered a job by someone like Lawrence Deon, we don't think stepping in is ridiculous at all."  
  
Lucas didn't know who said it. All he could focus on was the fact that the UEO had actually completely invaded his privacy and was now threatening him.  
  
"I didn't even accept the offer!" Lucas exclaimed.  
  
"That's not relevant."  
  
"Yes it is," Lucas corrected forcefully, "Just like I won't be accepting yours."  
  
"That's not an option."  
  
"Like hell it isn't!" Lucas yelled.  
  
He looked at them furiously, "How dare you question my loyalty anyway? I served with the UEO for six years!"  
  
"That's irrelevant," the first man told him, "Many of us don't believe you would ever do anything to harm the UEO intentionally. But there are people who are aware of your abilities, and they will go to extreme lengths to exploit you to get to us."  
  
Lucas looked at them angrily, "I am very well protected thank you," Lucas said darkly.  
  
The first men pulled a gun from inside his jacket, "Are you certain?"  
  
Lucas had the chance to look at them in shock and horror, before he felt the familiar prick of darts in his chest and collapsed to the ground. 


	2. Chapter Two

Leaving Home. Part Two  
  
Standard Disclaimer.  
  
"Come on, he has the potential to over throw the UEO," the first senior officer from Lucas home argued.  
  
"He has the potential," McGath spluttered, "But it's not likely."  
  
"I just think we would all rest a little easier if Wolenczak was back working for the UEO."  
  
McGath was slightly red in the face and obviously shocked by what he was hearing, "If Mr Wolenczak decides that he wants to do anything malicious against the UEO, it would not make a difference whether or not he's back working with us."  
  
"I beg to differ sir," the officer corrected, "This is out of your hands now anyway."  
  
"Damn you!" McGath cursed as he stood up, "He could take us to court for false imprisonment! You're handing him to tools to cause us trouble."  
  
"I think you should leave it to us, sir," the officer smiled smugly, "The majority of the executive voted against you."  
  
"I'm the God damned Secretary General for God's sakes!" McGath cursed.  
  
"Article six, section 4: A majority decision made by a full committee of senior UEO officers will preside over the Secretary-General."  
  
"That's only general protocol, no one has actually ever done that before."  
  
"Well, we consider this an important enough issue, sir."  
  
"You still have the hide to call me sir?" McGath demanded.  
  
"Well, sir you will only have to step down if you chose to fight us on this. We can replace you if you try to over rule a majority decision," At McGath's face he added, "Article six, section 4(a), sir."  
  
McGath nodded, defeated, "Get the hell out of here."  
  
***  
  
After the senior officer had left McGath's office he made his way towards his own office just down the hall.  
  
He came in to find the other two officers who were with him at Lucas' home as well as three other senior UEO officers, all admirals, one a woman. The woman looked like she could have made an alternative career as a strict headmaster at a private girls school.   
  
As he walked swiftly into the room he was surprised to find Lucas Wolenczak standing across from the UEO officers, a furious look on his face.  
  
"Ah, Mr Wolenczak, I see you've recovered," he greeted.  
  
"I hope you're aware that you're violating my constitutional rights."  
  
"We're not violating anything, Mr Wolenczak, we're well within our rights to protect ourselves and our citizens."  
  
"That's bull," Lucas growled, "You know as well as I do that you have nothing to protect yourselves from."  
  
The first officer sighed dramatically while the others looked on, "If that were the case, young man, things would not be working out this way. Would you have a seat please," He gestured towards a chair in front of his desk, which was placed near the group of senior officers, and walked around, to his own chair behind his desk.  
  
Lucas cast the group a wary look and sat down just as the first officer did.  
  
"Am I being held here?" Lucas asked defiantly.  
  
The officer stuttered his response, "Well... no..."  
  
One of the Admirals finished for him, "But I don't think it would be I wise idea to leave."  
  
Lucas turned around to face him, blue eyes wide and gleaming, mouth forming into a half 'I dare you' half cheeky expression, "Why not?"  
  
The entire group fidgeted uncomfortably. This seemed to satisfy Lucas. He turned back to the man behind the desk, "I hope you're aware that I still speak with my comrades on the SeaQuest regularly."  
  
The man behind the desk smiled broadly, "I am very aware, Mr Wolenczak. We bugged your phones remember?"  
  
Lucas' expression darkened.  
  
"You speak with..," he lifted a sheet of paper, "..Tony Piccolo, on almost a nightly basis."  
  
Lucas looked at him curiously, "He was my room mate. It's kind of weird not having him annoy me."  
  
"Or you annoy him?" the officer teased. Lucas said nothing.  
  
"Never lived alone before, Mr Wolenczak?"  
  
"I was sixteen when my father got me onto the SeaQuest. I lived there until my twenty-second birthday last year." Lucas explained.  
  
"When did the Aquatic Protection Agency offer you a position?"  
  
Lucas gave him a suspicious look, "I think you can find that on your records."  
  
"No," the officer told him folding his hands on the desk, "Actually we don't."  
  
Lucas continued to look suspicious and stole a glance at the group of senior officers behind him before continuing, "About a year."  
  
"A year?" the officer asked, "It took you a year before you ended up leaving? You could have left before that, you had no obligation to stay."  
  
"Oh, didn't I?" Lucas challenged sarcastically, "That seems to be contrary to what you're telling me."  
  
"That you were aware of," The officer answered without skipping a beat.  
  
Lucas glared at him, "SeaQuest was my home," Lucas said quietly, "The crew was the only real family I ever had."  
  
Lucas clenched his jaw, expecting jeering. But the entire room was silent. The officer still held his smug look.  
  
"Yet you don't want to come back to us."  
  
Lucas stared at him in shock and amazement, "It wasn't what I wanted for a career!" he turned around and looked at the other officers, quoting what Hudson had told him six months earlier, "There are more dimensions to life than family. Sometimes they don't all work together neatly."  
  
The officer at the desk tapped his fingers together but didn't say anything. He looked at Lucas angry face and then back at his desk.   
  
At the silence, Lucas stood, "I'll let myself out," he turned to leave.  
  
"Oh, Mr Wolenczak?" Lucas stopped before he reached the door and turned around.  
  
The officer behind the desk pushed a piece of paper and a pen forward, "There is something you need to sign first."  
  
Lucas rolled his eyes and walked back over to the desk, picking up the pen. He glanced over the paper and then looked up at the officer with an incredulous look on his face, "I'm not signing this!"  
  
The officer spoke as though his hands were tied, "I'm.. afraid I can't let you leave if you don't sign it."  
  
"This is an employment contract!" Lucas forced out in stunned amazement, "Are you stupid, I already told you!"  
  
He threw the pen down on the desk and turned to walk out of the room again. A loud gun shot rang out threw the room. Lucas yelled and collapsed to the ground before he knew what was happening to him.  
  
He tried to sit up again before he realised that his leg was on fire. He grabbed his upper thigh where he had been hit and collapsed back down on to the ground, lying awkwardly. It was then that he noticed the officer behind the table place the gun back in his draw. Lucas gritted his teeth at the pain his leg. In his years of naval service he'd been tortured psychically, held hostage, beaten up, and dangled over the side of a cliff, but he'd never been shot.  
  
The officer walked around the table and then towards where Lucas was lying on the floor, carrying the paper and pen.  
  
Lucas turned his face away from him to breath heavily into the carpet, still gripping his leg and shaking in pain.  
  
The officer put the pen and paper down on the carpet, "I suggest you sign. Or next time it will be one of your friends on the biting end of the bullet."  
  
Lucas looked at him quickly, fear and disbelief spreading through his boyish features. One look at the officer told Lucas he was serious. He gritted his teeth as he shifted himself awkwardly and grabbed the pen.  
  
He scrawled his name across the paper violently; ripping a few holes in it, and then threw the pen down on the paper. He looked up at the officer to glare at him in fury.  
  
Sorry. I couldn't help but put a bit of physical ELFing in there :-) 


End file.
